Mode of Program Participation
Academic Scholarship
Participation Type
Panel
Session Title
The Past, the Future, and the Banjo in Appalachian Special Collections
Session Abstract or Summary
The collection and preservation of primary source material and the business of making that material accessible to researchers are essential components to the study of Appalachia. The collection at Berea College dates to 1914, well before Cratis Williams’s 1976 broad call to Appalachian colleges to create and develop Appalachian collections. This panel will offer three perspectives on the activities of Special Collections in the region. Gene Hyde, Head of Special Collections and University Archivist at the University of North Carolina, Asheville, will discuss the development of the program at his institution as it grew from the founding of the Southern Highlands Research Center in 1977. He will also examine this process in the context of the overall development of Appalachian studies and Appalachian collections in the late 1970s. With an eye to the future, Andrea Leonard, Metadata Librarian at Appalachian State, will present findings from her interviews with repository directors, faculty, and staff at nine academic institutions regarding current trends in Appalachian studies, the status and strengths of collections, and the relationship between the discipline and the repository moving forward. Lastly, Aaron Spelbring, Head of Archives and Special Collections at Radford University, will provide an example of the kind of work being done in this archival context by presenting a view of his department’s oral history project to document the work and careers of regional banjo recording artists and luthiers. The presentation will discuss the history of the project and the response to it, as well as plans to expand the project and the importance of the banjo in the regional culture.
Presentation #1 Title
UNC Asheville’s Southern Highlands Research Center and the Development of Appalachian Studies and Appalachian Collections in the late 1970s
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
The 1970s were important in the development of Appalachian Studies. In addition to the founding of the Appalachian Studies Conference in 1978, the decade also witnessed the growth and expansion of several Appalachian special collections. Influenced by Cratis Williams’ 1976 call for Appalachian colleges and universities to collect manuscripts, documents, and other materials and become “the depositories of the history of Appalachia,” a regional conference was held at the University of Kentucky to examine the role of Appalachian collections to Appalachian Studies. In 1977 UNC Asheville founded the Southern Highlands Research Center, a repository dedicated to documenting the diversity of Asheville’s urban Appalachian community. This paper will examine the creation and development of UNCA’s Southern Highlands Research Center in the historical context of Appalachian Studies in the 1970s. What challenges did UNC Asheville face when developing the Southern Highlands Research Center? How did UNCA’s experience fit within the larger context of the development of Appalachian Studies during this time? How did UNC Asheville’s experience compare with the development of other Appalachian collections? This paper will draw on the author’s current research on the history of Appalachian Special Collections.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Gene Hyde is Head of Special Collections and University Archivist at the University of North Carolina Asheville, and previously was Appalachian Collection Librarian and Archivist at Redford University. He holds an MA in Appalachian Studies from Appalachian State University and an MS in Information Sciences from the University of Tennessee.
Presentation #2 Title
Underpinning Perceptions: The What, Why, and Future of Appalachian Studies Programs and Appalachian Special Collections
Presentation #2 Abstract or Summary
What is Appalachian Studies about? Why are there Appalachian Special Collections? What is the future of Appalachian Studies programs and Appalachian special collections? This session will look at the responses to these questions from directors, faculty, and staff at nine academic institutions in an effort to understand underpinning perceptions and explore whether there is a correlation between shared meanings and overall health of the entities and the strength of their collaborations. The identities of interviewees will be kept confidential. These questions are part of a larger study on the relationship between Appalachian Studies Programs and Appalachian Special Collections conducted in 2013-2014. Results from that larger study are forthcoming.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #2
Andrea Leonard is an Assistant Professor and Metadata Librarian at Belk Library & Information Commons, Appalachian State University. She is near completion of a second master’s degree in ASU’s Appalachian Studies Program. Her family roots are in East and Middle Tennessee. Andrea has lived most of her life in Southwest Virginia, East Tennessee, and now Western North Carolina.
Presentation #3 Title
Banjo Masters: From Butch to Bach
Presentation #3 Abstract or Summary
In 2013, the Radford University Archives and Special Collections, in partnership with the Center for Innovative Learning and Teaching, set out to document the works and careers of regional banjo recording artists. Beginning with banjo player Butch Robins’ 5-part take on the history of Bluegrass music, these long form oral histories record the careers and thoughts of classical, old-time, and traditional and progressive Bluegrass players, as well as banjo luthiers. This presentation will focus on the history of the project, response to, and future plans to expand the project, and the importance of the banjo in the regional culture. The presentation will feature brief clips from several of the interviews.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #3
Aaron Spelbring is the Head of Archives and Special Collections at McConnell Library, Radford University, Radford, VA. Previously he worked at the Avery Research Center, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC, the Museum of Northern Arizona, Flagstaff, AZ, the Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust, Oak Park, IL, and the Columbus Indiana Architectural Archives. He obtained his M.S.I.S. from the School of Information at The University of Texas at Austin in 2003.
Presentation #4 Title
Convener, Respondent
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #4
Marc Brodsky is Public Services and Reference Archivist at Virginia Tech. He holds an MS in Library Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a BA from Hampshire College.
UNC Asheville’s Southern Highlands Research Center and the Development of Appalachian Studies and Appalachian Collections in the late 1970s
The 1970s were important in the development of Appalachian Studies. In addition to the founding of the Appalachian Studies Conference in 1978, the decade also witnessed the growth and expansion of several Appalachian special collections. Influenced by Cratis Williams’ 1976 call for Appalachian colleges and universities to collect manuscripts, documents, and other materials and become “the depositories of the history of Appalachia,” a regional conference was held at the University of Kentucky to examine the role of Appalachian collections to Appalachian Studies. In 1977 UNC Asheville founded the Southern Highlands Research Center, a repository dedicated to documenting the diversity of Asheville’s urban Appalachian community. This paper will examine the creation and development of UNCA’s Southern Highlands Research Center in the historical context of Appalachian Studies in the 1970s. What challenges did UNC Asheville face when developing the Southern Highlands Research Center? How did UNCA’s experience fit within the larger context of the development of Appalachian Studies during this time? How did UNC Asheville’s experience compare with the development of other Appalachian collections? This paper will draw on the author’s current research on the history of Appalachian Special Collections.
